Noise
by WeBuiltThePyramids
Summary: Set just after the end of White Out. Someone had to bunk up with the snorer.


**Well after White Out aired, I made a post on Tumblr about wanting to have seen a flashforward to where everyon was sleeping peacefully in their tents, cut to Walter's awake and annoyed face with Sylvester snoring loudly. Some people asked me to write it, so here we go. Just a (hopefully fun) oneshot.**

* * *

Well, Cabe was right. Sylvester certainly was a snorer. They'd – well, everyone but him, anyway, had been asleep for at least an hour. Unfortunately for Walter, being three feet from Sylvester was not making that achievement particularly attainable or him.

 _Think about something,_ he said to himself. _Something to distract you from the noise._

Unfortunately, the only thing that came to mind was a verse from some campfire song Paige had sung when they were all gathered around making s'mores.

" _Took myself to the picture show,_

 _Sat myself in the very last row,_

 _Wrapped my arms around my waist,_

 _Got so fresh I slapped my face!_

 _I'm a nut! I'm a nut! I'm crazy!"_

He wasn't even sure he could say with any certainty he knew what that meant.

 _Think of something else_ , he ordered himself, furrowing his brow as he stared upward at his zenith. Of course at a time he needed to distract himself, he couldn't come up with anything but Paige and those upsettingly catchy campfire tunes she'd entertained them with.

 _Down by the bay,_

 _Where the watermelon's grow,_

 _Back to my home,_

 _I dare not go,_

She had pulled her son against her, grinning.

 _For if I do,_

 _My mother would say,_

" _Have you ever seen a moose kissing a goose?"_ She'd dropped a quick kiss on Ralph's cheek, _Down by the bay!_

Walter thanked his parents for never making him go to camp.

Another snore from Sylvester, right on cue. At least he was a sound sleeper. Walter didn't think he could handle another minute of this snoring, put that on top of tossing and turning and he would go mad.

Another snore. Walter, as usual, was right. He could not take another minute of this.

"God," Walter grunted, under his breath, as he rolled onto his side, wiggled out of the sleeping bag and stood up, hunching over as to not disturb the tent. Sylvester didn't stir. Walter paused, listening. The snoring duration and frequency didn't change. Walter slowly, carefully, gathered his sleeping back against him, slipping out of the tent.

The fake snow had all melted, and had long before they'd all retired to the tents. The fire was out too – maybe only five of the seven were geniuses, but none of them would make a mistake so grave as to leave a fire burning, or a fire pit smoking, before going to bed. Even on the roof of a brick building – they'd been in more than one harrowing fire situation and no one would take such a chance.

He couldn't sleep out here. The city never got dark enough. His eyes fell on the tent to his left.

* * *

Paige was startled at the sound of the tent unzipping. She wasn't s _cared,_ per se. The garage was locked, the only five people in the world that it could possibly be were her friends. But... "Walter, what are you doing?" she asked, holding a hand up to shield her eyes from the light of outside. Beside her, Ralph rolled on his back, his sleeping bag twisting with the motion. "Walter?"

"Can I sleep in here?"

Ralph looked at Paige, who shrugged. "Yeah, why?"

"Sylvester snores."

"Right, right," Paige said, as Ralph nodded in understanding. "Yeah, come on in." She scooted to the side, against the far right side of the tent, Ralph scooting with her, awkwardly moving his sleeping bag over.

Walter entered the tent, zipped it back up, and laid the sleeping bag out. "Thanks."

"Mmm hmm," Paige mumbled, already ready to re-surrender to sleep.

"Hey Walt," Ralph said, turning from facing his mother to look at Walter. "So the guys we helped save today, one of them is having a baby, and they're going to name him after me."

"Ralph."

"Your mom and Sly tell me you did a fantastic job today," Walter said.

"No no," Paige mumbled, raising her head just long enough to remove her pillow and whack them with it before tucking it back under. "I did _not_ let you into this tent so you guys could talk all night."

"Lull us to sleep, Mom," Ralph said, craning his neck around to see her.

She smiled, tipping her head back, thinking. Then she smiled, rolled onto her side, and tucked her arm under to prop up her head.

 _Out of my window, looking in the night,_

 _I can see the barges' flickering light._

 _Silently flows the river to the sea,_

"Walter. Ralph. Eyes closed." They obliged. She smiled again.

 _As the barges go by silently._

 _Barges, I would like to go with you,_

 _I would like to sail the ocean blue._

 _Barges, have you treasures in your hold?_

 _Do you fight with priates brave and bold?_


End file.
